Armed man leaves mall store with $45,000 in watches

MISSION VIEJO – A man pretending to be shopping in a Mission Viejo mall on Wednesday showed a saleswoman the gun tucked in his waistband and walked away with five Cartier watches, authorities said.

The robbery occurred in less than five minutes, and the man walked out of the store calmly with more than $45,000 in stolen merchandise, said Gail Krause, spokeswoman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Investigators released surveillance video of the robbery on Thursday afternoon, hoping someone might identify the man.

The robbery was reported just before 5:30 p.m. Wednesday after the walked out of a Switch Watch Gallery store in the Shops at Mission Viejo, Krause said.

The man, wearing a long-sleeved shirt, is seen in surveillance video walking past one salesman and toward a counter. For a few minutes, the man is seen trying several watches on with the help of a saleswoman.

"He quickly pulled up his shirt and showed he had a black handgun," Krause said.

The man then pulled out a blue bag and put five watches inside. He walked out past the salesman and into the busy mall.

The man was described as black; in his early 20s; 6 feet, 4 inches tall; and 170 pounds.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sheriff's Department.

Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS, 855-847-6227, or at occrimestoppers.org.